


Dark Paths We Tread

by JustALifelongPhase



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-16
Updated: 2015-09-03
Packaged: 2018-03-23 04:24:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,637
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3754477
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustALifelongPhase/pseuds/JustALifelongPhase
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>SuperHero/Villain AU! Clarke and Lexa are roommates. Little do either of them know, the other leads an interesting private life, full of action and deception.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The Silver Griffon

The Silver Griffon flew through the air. She could hear the faint shouts and cheers from people below. Even when she was just patrolling the city they still loved seeing her. It felt good, knowing she made people feel safe. She glanced behind her to see her sidekick keeping pace easily.

Mechanigirl had complained early on in their partnership about how she was always late to the fights. It wasn’t her fault, it was hard to keep up with the Griffon on foot. So Mechanigirl had fixed the problem the only way she knew how. Building a jetpack.

“Hey, nothing much is going on. Want to head back after one last loop?” The Griffon heard Mechanigirl’s voice as though she were speaking right next to her. The earbud she had in was another of her partner’s handy little inventions.

“Sounds good to me.” She replied. They were always late meeting with friends. It would be nice if keeping the city safe didn’t cut into their social life so much. She completed her last circuit of the city a little faster than she might normally, but not as fast as she might hope.

“Uh oh.” She tried not to groan when Mechanigirl said that.

“Do I want to know?”

“The police are saying there’s an armed robbery at the bank across town. You have three guesses as to who’s behind it.” The Griffon gritted her teeth,

“The Raccoon Bandit.”

“Bingo. Let’s go, I’ll race you there.” 

“Hey, since when do you pick up on the police radio signals?” The Griffon asked as they sped towards the bank,

“Last week. I added a receiver to my helmet.” Mechanigirl sounded extremely smug, and The Griffon decided against congratulating her. No need to inflate her head further.

“We’re here.” She said quickly, and angled herself down to land. She could see four or five people getting into a large truck, with someone following them. Someone familiar.

“Hey, Raccoon face!” She called. Yes, her sidekick usually came up with better nicknames, but it did the job. The Raccoon Bandit stopped and turned to face her. The Griffon couldn’t tell what she looked like under the thick paint that covered her face.

“Silver Griffon,” She said, nodding at her in a way that always seemed familiar, “you came faster than I expected. Impressive.”

“Where’s The Streak?” Mechanigirl asked, a black blur sped from the truck and came to a stop next to the Raccoon Bandit.

“I am The Surge. And that crass nickname does you no credit.”

“Yeah, but major credit for that time you ran so fast your clothes tore off. That was a sight for sore eyes.” Mechanigirl was clearly enjoying winding the other woman up.

“That was one time. One time that will not be repeated. And you will stop mentioning it.”

“Make me.” Mechanigirl taunted. The Surge didn’t need any more encouragement, and the two women were suddenly locked in combat. The Griffon cracked her neck under her silver helmet.

“Shall we?” She asked, the Raccoon Bandit answered by pulling a streetlight out of the ground and trying to swing it at her. The Griffon dodged just in time.

“You really don’t have to destroy city property!” The Griffon yelled, but the Raccoon Bandit only swung at her again. The two pairs of women fought, neither side gaining an edge. They all stopped when the beeping of three phone alarms went off. Mechanigirl, The Silver Griffon, and the Raccoon Bandit all looked at eachother. The Surge looked questioningly at her boss.

“Pull out.” The Raccoon Bandit ordered after a pause, “We bought enough time for the truck to get away. That’s what matters.” The Surge nodded and raced to the Raccoon Bandit, running with her away from the two heroes. The Griffon considered chasing after them, but it was pointless. They’d never catch up. Besides, the phone alarms going off were telling them that they were late.

“Come on,” she said reluctantly, “We need to get out of these costumes before meeting the others.”

\- - -

Clarke

Clarke didn’t bother unlocking the door to her apartment, her friends were probably already here. She opened the door and was surprised to see Lexa taking off her shoes in the hallway. The brunette looked up when Clarke walked in.

“Clarke.” She nodded the way she always did. Her eyes fell on Raven standing behind Clarke, “Hello Raven.”

“Did you get held up at work?” Clarke asked, Lexa nodded,

“Yeah. Yes. I did. Your friends are already here. They were complaining about your tardiness.” Clarke grimaced.

“I bet they were. Sorry about that.” Lexa shrugged and Clarke gave her a small smile. 

“I had a long day... at work.” Lexa said in her quiet voice, “I think I’ll go to bed now.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to make fun of a crappy movie with us?” Clarke asked, the same way she did every week. She kept trying, even though the answer never changed.

“No, thank you.” Lexa said, keeping with tradition. Clarke watched as her roommate went to her room and closed the door behind her.

“Bet she’d be up for it if it was just the two of you.” Raven said quietly, elbowing Clarke in the ribs. Clarke blushed slightly,

“Shut it, Raven.” Her friend laughed, and they heard a voice from the other room.

“You two finally made it! Get your asses in here!” The two of them shared a look, then went into the living room where Bellamy, Jasper, and Monty were waiting for them. They’d already set out bowls of chips and popcorn.

“Sorry we’re late.” Clarke said sheepishly. She didn’t know why she bothered apologizing. They were always late. Raven looked around.

“Where’s Octavia?” She asked, Bellamy shrugged,

“She said to tell you hi. And sorry she couldn’t make it this week.” Octavia frequently missed out on movie night, so it wasn’t really a surprise. Clarke settled down on the couch, sandwiched between Bellamy and Monty. Raven took her usual spot on the arm of the couch, leaning against Jasper. 

It was all so normal, and comfortable, and not disturbingly superhuman at all.

\- - -

Lexa

Lexa heard Clarke and Raven head into the living room. She smiled when she remembered Clarke asking her to join them. Sometimes she wished she could say yes. Wished she could join them in making fun of the most atrocious movies in the history of film making. Unfortunately, it wasn’t possible. She had more important things to think about.

Her phone buzzed and she looked at the screen. It was from Anya.

‘Target safe. Distribution in an hour. Warehouse A.’ She smiled. After almost two years, she was used to Anya’s brisk manner. It matched her own. She typed a quick reply,

‘I’ll be there.’

She got up and moved to her bathroom. She reached into her medicine cupboard and pulled out a small tub of paste. She started liberally applying face paint. Enough to hide her features and make her unrecognizable.

She thought about using a mask instead, she had just taken off the makeup and now it was going back on.

\- - -

Octavia

Octavia thought wistfully of her friends. She would have to be sure to take time for them later. Meanwhile though, she had work to do. She and her brother lived in a house just outside the city limits. She went to their backyard and the group of bushes that lay at the back. She pushed through the branches and reached a dark green tarp that blended in perfectly. She pulled back the tarp revealing a motorcycle that Bellamy would absolutely kill her for. Not that he knew about it.

Octavia adjusted her outfit, then started tearing off into the city. She had work to do.

\- - -

Raccoon Bandit

The Raccoon Bandit walked into a seemingly empty warehouse. She strode confidently to the corner, where an old elevator was and got in. She didn’t need to press any buttons. As soon as the doors closed it started climbing down.

When the doors pinged open, she got out and looked around. The room she was in now was at least twice as large as the warehouse, and hadn’t existed until a year or two ago. It was amazing what you could do with enough manpower.

Despite it’s size, the room was packed with people. It didn’t matter to her though, the crowd parted for her as she walked through, reaching the long table set up near the back. Her officers were already there. The Surge, like Lexa, was dressed so her identity remained hidden. Indra and Gustus stood proudly next to her. They all nodded when she approached. The stolen money from the bank was piled on the tables in front of them.

At her signal, they started distributing the money. Each of the officers knew how much the people under them had earned, nobody complained about their share. As they passed The Raccoon Bandit, some saluted her. Others just nodded gratefully. She acknowledged the gestures with small smiles. As the last people got their money, The Surge came up to Lexa.

“That should keep most of them fed and clothed until we get more. Here’s your share.” She handed her a large wad of hundreds and Lexa tucked the money into her pocket.

“In twenty minutes start letting them out in small groups.” She ordered, “We don’t want to draw too much attention to this place.” The Surge nodded and moved back towards Indra and Gustus. The Raccoon Bandit looked around the room with pride.

Before she had come, these people had been lone outlaws, running wild around the city. She had organized them into something more, something greater. Almost every criminal in the city worked for her now. And those that didn’t were put away quickly by The Silver Griffon and Mechanigirl. She chuckled slightly at the thought.

Her nemesis was good for something, at least.

\- - -

The Outsider

The Outsider circled the warehouse on her motorcycle a second time. She counted ten men. Ten men who had an air of watchfulness that screamed “guard.” She suspected she had found where the stolen bank money from earlier had gone. The Silver Griffon was good at her job, and a symbol of hope for the people, but The Outsider knew that sometimes the darker path yielded better results.

She parked her bike and snuck up on the first of the ten guards. He never even saw her before he fell to the ground, unconscious. The next four guards went down with similar ease. The sixth actually managed to spot her, but she shoved the hilt of her knife into his mouth before he could yell for help, and knocked him on the base of the head while he was still gagging. She scowled and used his shirt to wipe the saliva off the weapon. Four men to go.

Three more went down easily and she almost laughed. Was this really the best they could do? Her feeling of elation faded when she suddenly felt the cool blade of a knife at her throat. Looks like the tenth man had spotted her.

“Why are you here?” he growled, The Outsider struggled to slow her breathing and remain calm.

“Why do you think? I’m getting back the money you thugs stole.” She spat out. She expected the knife to slash her throat, these were criminals after all, and not known for their mercy, but instead the pressure left her neck. She leapt away and rubbed her throat for a moment.

“Leave. You don’t need to be here.” The man’s voice was calm for someone who had just been holding her at knifepoint. The Outsider didn’t respond, instead aiming a punch to his solar plexus. He caught the blow easily in his hand.

“Leave,” he repeated, “you’re already too late. The money is gone.” The Outsider frowned,

“What do you mean, it’s gone? That much money doesn’t just disappear.” The man shook his head,

“It’s scattered. Like leaves in the wind. You can’t track it down. Leave.” The Outsider narrowed her eyes.

“Why are you letting me leave? Don’t I know too much now?” The man shrugged,

“I’m the only one who knows how much you know.” The Outsider tried once more, this time with her knife aimed at his leg. It wouldn’t be fatal, but it could probably incapacitate him.

Unfortunately for her, the knife never reached it’s mark. He caught her by the wrist and knocked the blade out of her hand, picking it up and aiming it at her throat. She cursed inwardly. This was the second time in as many minutes that this man had held her life in his hands.

They stood like that for several moments, before the man flipped the blade and handed it back to her. She took it slowly.

“Leave.” He said emphatically, and The Outsider realized he was showing mercy. Not many people could beat her, but he was one of those few. And he wasn’t killing her. She backed away slowly. She felt his eyes on her as she walked back to her motorcycle and fled.

Of all the things she had been expecting to find there, mercy was near the bottom of the list.


	2. Chapter 2

Clarke

Clarke woke up and headed out of her room. Lexa was already in the kitchen, eating breakfast and reading the newspaper. She nodded at Clarke as she came over.

“You didn’t make any for me?” Clarke asked, Lexa raised an eyebrow,

“You’re perfectly capable of feeding yourself, Clarke.” she said with the smallest hint of a smile. Clarke sighed dramatically,

“You’re too cruel.” She pulled out some bread and stuck it in the toaster, grabbing some nutella while she waited. When it popped up, she used about half the jar on her two slices.

“Clarke, you’re going to make yourself sick.” Lexa said disapprovingly, Clarke shrugged,

“You also say that when I eat it straight out of the jar. Never happens.”

“You have some kind of superhuman digestive system.” Lexa muttered. Clarke giggled and almost choked on her toast.

She liked the casual banter they had in the mornings. They had been roommates for almost two years, and it had taken several months for Clarke to actually get her to talk. Lexa still didn’t hang out with her friends, but when it was just the two of them she could be surprisingly good company.

They both looked up when there was a knock on the door, and Raven walked in (their door was hardly ever locked.)

Clarke didn’t miss the way Lexa turned away slightly, focusing more intently on the newspaper. She was closing off, becoming the girl Clarke had first met, instead of the one she had gotten to know.

“Morning, Clarke!” Raven said cheerfully. Clarke was distracted from her thoughts and smiled up at her friend,

“Hey, Raven. Did something good happen this morning? You’re... chipper.” Raven grinned,

“I’ve just got some good plans for tonight.”

“A date?” Clarke asked,

“Maybe.” Raven smiled wide then gave Clarke’s shoulder a small push, “Hey, hurry up. We need to go to,” Raven’s eyes flicked to Lexa for a moment, “we need to go work.” She said. Clarke nodded,

“Right, give me fifteen minutes to get ready.” Clarke shoved the rest of her toast into her mouth, then went into her room.

\- - -

Lexa

Clarke went into her room, leaving Lexa alone with Raven. The other girl didn’t seem to mind, Raven grabbed some bread and made herself some toast. She often at the food at their apartment, but she always used Clarke’s groceries, so Lexa didn’t really mind.

Lexa’s mind wandered over to Clarke, as it did too often. She hadn’t thought about someone this much since...no. This was different. She was grateful to have Clarke as a friend. A friend who didn’t treat her any different from anyone else. A friend who she had never really given anything back to...

“Raven.” She said quietly, the girl looked a bit surprised to hear Lexa talking to her but Lexa pushed through anyway, “You and Clarke are very close. I was wondering if you know anything she would like.” Raven looked as though her birthday had come early,

“You mean like a date?” Lexa felt her face turn red, but before she could gather herself enough to say anything Raven was talking again,

“Or if it’s too soon for that you could always try some pickup lines! I know some great ones-”

“Raven,” Lexa interrupted, “I meant as a friend. She’s been a good friend and I want to show my gratitude.” Raven’s eyes widened,

“Ooooh. Friend stuff.” Raven looked so disappointed it was almost comical, “Well, if you want to get Clarke something, art supplies might be a good bet. She’s always complaining about how she’s running low.”

Art supplies. Normal. Easy. Lexa nodded,

“That’s a good idea, thank you, Raven.”

“Yeah, no prob.” Raven said, then she perked up, 

Oh no, Lexa thought, bracing herself for whatever the girl would do next,

“Hey, I’m going to give you some pickup lines too! Just in case you change your mind.”

“No, that’s really-”

“Don’t worry, I’ll write them down, so you don’t forget.” Raven said happily. She looked around the room and found a piece of paper, and started writing quickly, not listening to Lexa’s protests.

When Clarke came out of her room, Raven folded up the paper and handed it to Lexa.

“Just in case.” She said with a wink,

“What’s that?” Clarke asked, looking confused. Raven didn’t even blink,

“I just gave Lexa directions to a cafe a few blocks away. They have great muffins. Anyway, come on, let’s get going.”

Lexa wondered if she should be concerned that her roommate’s best friend was such a proficient liar. As Clarke and Raven headed out, Lexa heard part of their conversation.

“Clarke, I changed my mind about her. Your roommate is hilarious.”

“Raven, what did you-” The door closed on the rest of Clarke’s sentence.

\- - -

The Silver Griffon

“Hey, Griffon, the Chief of Police wants to see us.” Mechanigirl called, The Silver Griffon looked back at her,

“You sure?”

 

“I don’t know. What do you think the big blue letters saying “PLEASE MEET WITH CHIEF NOW” that are flashing across the screen in my helmet mean?” The Griffon snorted,

“Fine, come on, let’s go.” They flew over to the Police Department and through the Chief’s office window (which he had specifically renovated so they could fit through.)

“Chief Kane.” The Griffon greeted him. He sat at his desk, five police officers in front of him. The Griffon spotted Bellamy Blake in the middle, and swallowed hard. Thankfully her helmet covered her face.

“Thankyou for coming on such short notice,” Kane said, “We’ll start right away. Officer Harper, the stage is yours.” One of the women stood up,

“Thankyou sir. We’ve had several missing persons reports in the last few days. Kidnappings are suspected. We’ve got people out there searching for clues, but let’s face it. Most of the city’s crime comes from one source.” Harper looked at the Griffon.

“You think the Raccoon Bandit is behind the kidnappings.” She said. It wasn’t a question. Or an argument. Kane stepped forward. 

“It would definitely come as no surprise.” He said, “But one thing is strange.” He moved to his desk and pulled out a thick file.

“This entire file is full of one thing. Theft. There are some reports of property damage, and cases of people getting injured, or worse.” The Griffon had to work not to flinch at that comment, “But all of the other charges simply aided the Raccoon Bandit and her lackeys in stealing whatever she wanted.”

“So, what?” Mechanigirl asked, “You think that she’s kidnapping people to pull off some sort of heist?” Kane shrugged,

“We need to consider the possibility.” The Griffon nodded,

“Thanks for telling us. We’ll try to get to the bottom of this.” How they would do that, she had no idea, but there was no way she was telling Kane that. She hated letting people down.

\- - -

Octavia

Octavia was with Jasper and Monty, joining in on their “Smash Bros. Through the Ages” gaming marathon. Jasper had every version ever made, and Monty had the consoles they needed. Usually she would be kicking their asses, but it was a lot harder today.

“Everything alright, O?” Monty asked, Jasper had just beaten her in less than thirty seconds.

“What, you don’t think I can beat her unless something’s up?” Jasper asked. Monty just looked at him. Jasper turned to Octavia,

“He’s right. What’s wrong?” Their concern was sweet.

“I’m fine. Just had some trouble sleeping last night.” 

“Chamomile tea will help with that,” Monty told her, “I’ll give you some before you leave.” Octavia smiled,

“Thanks Monty, that’s sweet.” She felt bad for worrying them. And lying. She shook her head to clear it and grabbed her controller, “Of course, being sweet isn’t going to stop me from beating you.” This time she played as well as usual. Jasper looked at his friend,

“I think maybe we should ban her from using Link.”

\- - -

The Raccoon Bandit

The Raccoon Bandit sat in the back of a van. One of the people who worked for her was driving her to a meeting with her officers. The van stopped and she got out. It was an old furniture shop, it looked closed, but if this was the place, she could get in.

She turned the handle and the door swung open. She walked into the room and found Gustus and the Surge sitting in chairs. Two other seats stood empty, the Raccoon Bandit took one, and looked around.

“Where is Indra?”

“Most of the men guarding the warehouse last night were found later, all unconscious.” Gustus told her, “Indra is with the only one who is unscathed, then she will investigate. She told us to start, and catch her up later.”

“Was anybody seriously injured?” The Raccoon Bandit asked,

“No, they will all be fine. What I find more curious is that someone went to the trouble of incapacitating the guards, then left without doing anything else.”

“Indra will investigate. Is there anything else I should know about?” Gustus nodded,

“A few of our people have gone missing. We do not know where, or why. I wanted to let you know before I did anything, but I would like to investigate.”

“Start the investigation immediately. The Surge and I will plan our next target. You go find our people.” The Raccoon Bandit ordered. Gustus stood and saluted her before leaving the shop. When they heard the door close behind him, The Surge chuckled quietly,

“So, Lexa. Only the two of us planning a heist? Just like old times.”

“Anya,” she chided, “you know better than to use our real names while we are in costume.”

“You’re doing it too. Besides, nobody else is here.” The Raccoon Bandit tried not to smile, knowing it would only encourage the woman,

“Come on, there is a jewelry store I have my eye on. I know for a fact that the owner is insured.”

\- - -

The Outsider

The Outsider was searching the warehouse from the previous night. She didn’t expect to find anything, but she didn’t have any other leads to go on. The entire thing was empty now. No trace of... she heard someone behind her and turned around, throwing a punch. 

A larger hand caught hers and she was looking at the man from the previous night.

“What are you doing here?” She demanded, pulling her hand away. She considered trying to hit him again, but she’d learned how effective that was last night.

“I was looking for you. I thought you might come back.”

“What, have you decided letting me go was a dumb idea? Came to finish it?” 

“No. My boss asked questions when they found the guards you knocked out. The only one who saw you doesn’t remember enough to be much help.”

“Fortunately you were there to help them. Is this some kind of trap?” The Outsider looked around, wondering if more people were going to come out of the shadows.

“I told them I hadn’t seen anything.” She looked at him,

“Why?”

“You are strong, but your fighting style is undisciplined. I could help.” The Outsider laughed out loud,

“So you let me go, lied to your boss, and then came back here hoping to find me... all so that you could teach me to fight better? Or is it a deal. I get lessons in exchange for joining your little group?”

“No, you only join if you want to. I just thought if you knew one of us you would see what other people can’t.”

“And what do you want me to see?”

“That we are not evil.” The Outsider looked at him. She didn’t know anything about this man.

“What’s your name?” she asked him,

“Lincoln. What about you?”

“The Outsider.” She said shortly.

“I don’t get your real name?”

“No.”

“Will you at least take off the mask?” he asked, nodding at the dark leather mask that covered the top half of her face,

“No.” Lincoln sighed,

“Do I at least get to know if you’ll let me teach you?” 

“I’ll consider it.” She said, before turning and running away. He didn’t follow after her. She hopped onto her motorcycle and drove through the city, trying to clear her mind.

Could she trust him?  
She did.  
Should she trust him?  
That was a lot harder to answer.


	3. Chapter 3

The Silver Griffon

  


The Silver Griffon flew over the city with Mechanigirl. It had been three days since Chief Kane had asked them to help with the missing people. She was keeping an eye out, but the Griffon knew that it was more likely that Mechanigirl would “hear” something from a computer that would help them.

  


“Have you found anything?” She asked, Mechanigirl sighed,

  


“No. If there are any records of where these people are being kept, it isn’t on any computers that I can sense.”

  


“How far can you check?” The Griffon asked, 

  


“About a five-hundred meter radius before I get one hell of a headache,” Mechanigirl estimated, “I could do more if there were less computers, but that’s not really an option in a city this size.” The Griffon sighed,

  


“So it’s possible that we just haven’t found the right computer?” The Griffon swore she could almost hear Mechanigirl roll her eyes,

  


“We’ve flown over almost the entire city. Do you really think that that’s likely?” She didn’t, but she also didn’t have any better plan.

  


“Come on, let’s do a full sweep. We’re going to search this entire city.”

  


“Are you kidding me?” Mechanigirl screeched, 

  


“Any other ideas?” The Griffon waited a moment, but the only sound in that came from her earbud was muttered cursing. She smiled at some of the more creative swears and changed direction. Mechanigirl followed reluctantly.

  


\- - -

  


Raccoon Bandit

  


The Raccoon Bandit met with the Surge in a back alley, where nobody was likely to spot them.

  


“Have you found our missing people?” she asked. Gustus hadn’t had any luck in finding the missing people, and The Raccoon Bandit and her officers had decided to give them top priority. The Raccoon Bandit had come so far because she made sure her organization always looked after their own.

  


“It’s almost like they disappeared.” The Surge told her, “Nobody knows where they went, or why. Or with whom.” The Raccoon Bandit nodded,

  


“We’ll keep searching. You go west. Indra’s already searching the south side, and Gustus is North. I’m going East.” The Surge nodded and took off again. The Raccoon Bandit went the other direction, exiting the ally.

  


She had barely started walking when she saw a familiar, unwelcome silver figure. The Silver Griffon landed in front of her in a clang of armor. The Raccoon Bandit nodded to her,

  


“Silver Griffon. I have no reason to fight you today. I’m not even breaking the law.”

  


“Cut the crap.” The Silver Griffon growled, “Even if you’re not doing anything now, there’s still an outstanding warrant for your arrest. Besides, it’s your fault I’ve been flying around searching this city for the past three days!”

  


“I’d love to take credit for whatever it is, but I’m not sure what you’re searching for,” The Raccoon Bandit said, 

  


“The missing people!” The Silver Griffon exploded, “You know, those people that you’ve taken for god-knows-what reason?” Now the Raccoon Bandit was truly surprised. 

  


“Wait. You say that civilians are going missing? I thought it was just my people.” The Silver Griffon’s sidekick snorted,

  


“Please. You want us to believe that you had absolutely nothing to do with this?” The Raccoon Bandit glared at Mechanigirl,

  


“I have never denied my crimes. Thievery, property damage, yes. Regrettably, there is the occasional civilian injury. I don’t deny that either. But I have never taken anybody against their will, I can promise you that.”

  


“Why don’t I believe you?” The Silver Griffon scoffed, “Oh, the villain says she didn’t do it! Case solved, must have been someone else!”

  


“We’ve been at each other's throats for almost two years, Silver Griffon,” The Raccoon Bandit pointed out, “Can you name even one time that I have lied to you?” The Silver Griffon was silent for several moments.

  


“If you aren’t responsible, then who is?” She asked, The Raccoon Bandit hoped that his meant she believed her.

  


“I don’t know who is responsible, but me and my people are searching,” The Raccoon Bandit paused before her next words, “If I learn anything, I’ll make sure to let you know.”

  


“What, you want to work together now?” The Silver Griffon sounded skeptical. With good reason. The Raccoon Bandit shook her head,

  


“Not necessarily. But we do share a common goal.”

  


The Silver Griffon just looked at her for a long moment, and The Raccoon Bandit could feel every muscle in her body tense, ready if she was going to have to fight her way out.

  


“Go. Search for your people. And try not to steal anything.”

  


The Raccoon Bandit fled without question. She decided to take this as a small victory.

  


\- - -

  


Lexa

  


Lexa got home late that evening, tired and discouraged by an unproductive day. She straightened up a little when she heard Clarke’s voice, and came further into the apartment to see that her bedroom door was open. Clarke was sitting on the edge of the bed, and Raven was curled up under the covers. Clarke looked up as Lexa approached.

  


“Hey, you’re home. I’m letting Raven crash here tonight, she has a killer headache and it’s closer than her place.” Lexa just nodded. It wasn’t the first time Raven had stayed in Clarke’s room. She was about to leave when a flash of metal caught her eye.

  


“Clarke?” She asked, “Why is there a Silver Griffon helmet under your bed?” Clarke blushed a bright red, and Raven looked up from the bed,

  


“Dude, you still have that thing I gave you for your birthday? You’re such a dork.” Raven closed her eyes again and Clarke let out a small laugh,

  


“Yeah, um... I’m actually a fan. A really big fan. It’s kind of lame.” Lexa couldn’t help the small smile that came to her lips,

  


“Really? That is lame.” It was also annoying. Lexa wasn’t sure why, but the idea of Clarke idolizing her nemesis just... bothered her. Not that it would ever really matter, but still. Clarke laughed again,

  


“Promise not to tease me?” She asked, Lexa cocked her head to the side and pretended to think about it.

  


“I suppose I can refrain. Unless you really deserve it.”

  


“Get a room, guys.” Raven mumbled from the bed. Clarke glared at her, and Lexa took the opportunity to duck out of the room, hiding her pink cheeks.

  


\- - -

  


Octavia

  


Octavia was eating dinner with Bellamy. He hadn’t come home early, he was just leaving home late. Whatever the reason though, she was glad to spend time with him. They’d both been too busy lately. He was enthusiastically talking about his job, and she listened attentively. After all, he was the Outsider’s unknowing police informant.

  


“Anyway, long story short, I’m helping to find the missing people. Which means I’m working right alongside The Silver Griffon and Mechanigirl!” He’d mentioned the Silver Griffon at least five times in as many minutes.

  


“Is there anyone else helping?” Octavia asked cautiously, “How about that other hero I’ve heard about? The Outsider?” Bellamy made a face,

  


“They call the Outsider a hero? O, she may be helping catch criminals - which I thoroughly agree with - but she’s wild. She doesn’t follow any rules.”

  


“Maybe she gets more done that way,” Octavia suggested, “she can do things that the police can’t.” Bellamy shook his head stubbornly,

  


“No. If you really want to help people, you need to work with the police, not in spite of them. The Silver Griffon understands that.” Octavia considered arguing more, but she knew how stubborn her brother could be, and didn’t see the point. Besides, it wasn’t worth the suspicion it might cause. She couldn’t be too careful.

  


“I guess you’re right. Lucky you, working with a superhero.” Bellamy either didn’t catch her sarcasm, or he chose to ignore it. He stood up and cleared his plate,

  


“Alright, O. I’m heading to work. Have a good night.” She nodded,

  


“Yeah. You too.”

  


As soon as he left, Octavia ran up to her room and reached into the back of her closet, pulling out a dark leather suit and a mask.

  


\- - -

  


The Outsider

  


The Outsider saw Lincoln standing in the old warehouse. She crept up carefully, trying not to make a sound. She leapt at him, aiming a fist at the base of his skull.

  


He turned around and caught her fist right before she made contact.

  


“Better?” She asked, breathing a little heavily. He smiled and nodded,

  


“You’re improving.” He took out to knives and passed one to her. She raised an eyebrow,

  


“I must be improving, if you’re letting me graduate from fists.” He smiled at her, then held the knife ready.

  


“Prove you’re ready. Fight me.”

  


They sparred for more than an hour. The Outsider knew that Lincoln could beat her in minutes but he didn’t. He also didn’t touch her mask, as she had requested. When they finally broke apart, she was breathing heavily. Lincoln looked mostly unfazed, but she didn’t mind. She actually enjoyed the lessons he was giving her.

  


“That should be enough for tonight.” He said quietly, taking the knife back from her, “Until next time, Outsider.”

  


The Outsider thought of the past few days. Lincoln hadn’t asked her about herself. He hadn’t pushed her for information. He had shown her respect.

  


“Lincoln.” She called after him, “Next time we see each other, you can call me Octavia.”

  


She didn’t wait for him to say anything, but turned and ran back to her motorcycle.

  


\- - -

  


Clarke

  


Clarke was at the table with Lexa when Raven stumbled out of her room.

  


“How’s your head?” She asked, Raven shrugged,

  


“Better.”

  


“Are you up for work today?” Raven nodded,

  


“Yeah, as long as I take it easy.” Clarke took that to mean that another sweep of the city was out of the question.

  


“Hey, can I use your shower?” Raven asked, Clarke nodded and Raven sauntered into the bathroom.

  


“You two are like sisters.” Lexa observed. Clarke shrugged,

  


“I guess. We’ve known each other a while. I trust her.”

  


“I hope she’s worthy of your trust.” Lexa said. Clarke looked at her,

  


“Is there anyone worthy of your trust, Lexa?”

  


“Not many. Perhaps a few.” Lexa answered after a slight pause. Clarke sighed,

  


“Lexa... Why do you do that?”

  


“Do what, exactly?” There was a slight edge to Lexa’s voice, but Clarke pushed on anyway,

  


“You push people away. Block everyone out. Why?” Lexa met Clarke’s eyes and Clarke forced herself not to back down, to keep eye contact...

  


“Not everyone.” Lexa said quietly, “Not you.” Lexa stood up and cleared her breakfast dishes before returning to her room. Clarke was almost tempted to go after her, but decided to give her some space.

  
She tried not to think about what Lexa’s words might mean. Tried not to think what they meant to her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you guys want to see me ranting about this, you can follow PhaseWriter on tumblr! I tag anything relating to this particular fic #SHAU


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is late! I'll start updating once a week again, but the day will vary depending on when I'm working. Thanks for reading!

The Outsider

She and Lincoln had decided to meet in the morning this time, at the same warehouse where they had first met. It was different, seeing him in the morning light filtering through the windows. She was able to notice little details that hadn’t been clear before. It was an effort not to let this new view of him distract her.

They were sparring fiercely, and The Outsider was proud of herself for the fact that she’d actually managed to make Lincoln break a sweat. She was even prouder when she managed to score a hit on him. Lincoln looked down in surprise at the blade hovering near his neck.

“I win.” she grinned. Lincoln’s face broke into a smile. She expected him to step away, but he stayed where he was, close enough that his heavy breaths caused her hair to flutter. The Outsider lowered her knife, but she didn’t move away either.

“Lincoln?” It was a question, but she wasn’t quite sure what she was asking. He started leaning in slowly,

“Octavia. You can walk away now, if you want.” She didn’t want. She stayed where she was while their lips slowly met.

The kiss was gentle, a strange contrast to the fierceness of their usual interactions. They broke apart slowly, and she looked up at Lincoln.

“Talk about a cliche,” she joked, “The hero and the villain?” Lincoln smiled,

“More like the villain’s henchman. Or rather, the henchman’s henchman. I don’t follow the Raccoon Bandit directly.”

The Outsider felt like the mention of the Raccoon Bandit should make her turn away, pretend that this had never happened. It should, but it didn’t.

“When we first met, you said that you guys weren’t evil. What did you mean?” Lincoln frowned,

“We... help people. People who need it. The Raccoon Bandit takes people who don’t have jobs, sometimes don’t have homes. We steal from people who are covered by insurance, or who really deserve it. Then we give it to our people, the ones who need it.”

“So the Raccoon Bandit is more like a modern-day Robin Hood?” The Outsider asked, Lincoln nodded,

“Yes. We try not to hurt people. Sometimes it happens, but we try to compensate their families when it does.”

Put this way, The Raccoon Bandit’s crew didn’t sound so bad. Bellamy would disagree, he would say that it was no excuse for breaking the law. He would say that crime is crime. But they’d never seen eye-to-eye on that point.

“How do I join?” She asked,

“What?”

“I want to join. Let me help.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be a hero?” There was a small smile playing at Lincoln’s lips,

“In theory. The police don’t see it that way. They don’t approve of me not following their rules. I’m willing to break the law if it means helping people.” 

“If you really want to join... I can take you to Indra. She’s one of the Bandit’s generals, and she’s the one I follow.”

“When can I meet her?” The Outsider asked,

“I can take you now, if you want.” She nodded and he turned away,

“Lincoln, wait.” He turned to look at her again and she slowly lifted the mask off her face.

“You should see who you were kissing.” She said quietly. She felt almost naked without the mask, especially with the way Lincoln was looking at her face, as though he were memorizing every detail. He moved closer and kissed her again.

She decided she might get used to this.

\- - -

The Silver Griffon

She and Mechanigirl were still searching the city for anything that could show the missing people, but it was going slowly. They stopped every hour so that Mechanigirl could rest, trying to avoid the headache of the last time they’d searched.

It was during one of these rests that they came across the Surge. Mechanigirl perked up when she saw her,

“Look! It’s the Streak!” The Surge scowled,

“The Raccoon Bandit has ordered me not to hinder your efforts,” She told them, “But I would appreciate you not tempting me with that nickname.” The Silver Griffon stared at her in surprise,

“She was serious about helping to find the missing people?” She asked. She had been afraid that it might be a lie, so that she could get away.

“She was so serious, that she sent me to give you something.” The Surge said, holding out her hand. The Silver Griffon took it hesitantly. 

“A pager?” she asked,

“The Raccoon Bandit will use it if we find anything relating to the missing people. If this is to be a joint effort, you need a way to communicate.”

The Silver Griffon immediately passed the pager to Mechanigirl.

“Are there any surprises in there?” She asked, “Something to track us? Maybe a bomb?” Mechanigirl was silent for several moments,

“It’s clean. It’s just a pager.”

“Your trust is overwhelming.” The Surge muttered, “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m done playing the delivery girl.” She ran off and The Silver Griffon and Mechanigirl shared a look.

They had never expected to be working with the villains.

\- - -

Octavia

It was another hangout night at Clarke’s apartment and Octavia had made sure to come. She’d been neglecting her friends lately.

“Hey, O. Is Bellamy coming?” Jasper asked, she shook her head,

“Nah. He’s working. You should be grateful though. It’s better than hearing him go on and on about the Silver Griffon.” 

They started playing the movie, but Octavia found it hard to pay attention. That seemed to be happening a lot lately. Monty and Jasper were cheerfully making fun of the bad special effects when Raven flung herself into the couch next to her, stretching her bad leg across Octavia’s lap.

“Soooo.... who’s the guy?” She asked. Octavia frowned,

“What makes you think there’s a guy?”

“You’ve got the look of a broody, lovestruck, fool.” Raven declared dramatically. Octavia glared at her,

“I do not.”

“Actually you kind of do.” Clarke put in, “Who is he?”

“Nobody. There is no guy.” Octavia insisted. She didn’t miss the look that Clarke and Raven shared.

She really had to stop being so obvious.

\- - -

The Raccoon Bandit

She was in another meeting with her officers. Or rather, two of her officers. The Surge was running late. 

“It’s been fifteen minutes.” Indra finally said, “Let’s just start without her.” The Raccoon Bandit agreed and turned to the two of them.

“Please tell me one of you found something on the missing people. Even if it’s small.”

“Nothing.” Indra told her. Gustus simply shook his head. The Raccoon Bandit sighed,

“Well. This might be a short meeting then. Anything else I should know?”

“There is one thing.” Indra said, “One of my men, Lincoln, was consorting with a known enemy. The Outsider.”

“The hero? That’s serious. How did you punish him?”

“I didn’t. There were extenuating circumstances.”

“Such as?”

“She joined us.” Lexa and Gustus stared at Anya.

“She can’t be trusted.” Gustus declared. Indra shook her head,

“I met her. She has potential. You allowed me to choose who I let follow me. I choose her.” It was rare for Indra to speak up for anyone. Lexa nodded,

“If you trust her that’s fine. It can only help to have her on our side.”

They all jumped up when the door opened, but it was just the Surge coming in.

“You’d think with super speed you’d be able to be on time.” Indra told her as they sat back down.

“She ran too fast to see any clocks.” Gustus grunted. The Surge ignored their banter and turned to The Raccoon Bandit.

“I was following a lead. I think I might have an idea as to where the missing people are.” That made the others shut up and listen. The Bandit nodded at the Surge to continue.

“You all know about that big company, Mountain Enterprises?”

“The one that is so intent on technological advances?” Indra asked. The Surge nodded,

“Several months ago, the owner and CEO, Dante Wallace retired, leaving his son, Cage, in charge. Right after that, Cage paid a lot of money on renovations in the basement. A week after the renovations were finished, the first person went missing.”

“How do you know that it’s not coincidence?” Indra asked,

“It’s possible,” The Surge admitted, “But even though nobody seems to know why the renovations were made, the one thing I did find out was that the basement is like a technological island. No connection with any devices outside of it, either via cell service, wifi, or any other way. I think that might be why the Silver Griffon and her sidekick haven’t been able to find them yet.” Silence met her words and the Raccoon Bandit turned to her generals.

“Indra and Gustus. You are to continue as normal. The Surge and I will contact the Silver Griffon and investigate Mountain Enterprises.” The generals nodded and they split up, the meeting over.

\- - -

Clarke

The others had gone home about fifteen minutes ago and Clarke was relaxing on her bed with her sketchpad. She was startled when she heard a sudden beeping. It wasn’t her phone, and she felt a moment’s confusion before remembering the pager that the Surge had given her. She dug it out of the back of her dresser and read the message.

‘Got a lead. Meet me tomorrow at noon behind the train station’

Clarke grabbed her phone and texted Raven,

‘the raccoon bandit wants to meet tomorrow at 12 behind the train station. she says there’s a lead’

The response was swift,

‘is it a trap?’

‘i dont think so. she’s never sought us out before’

‘k. we’ll go. but we need to be careful’

\- - - 

Lexa

Lexa was watching Clarke over her breakfast. The blonde woman seemed jumpy. Lexa decided to speak up after Clarke knocked over the nutella jar for the third time.

“Is something wrong, Clarke?” Clarke glanced up,

“No! Why?”

“You seem agitated.”

“I’m not agitated.” Clarke told her, “I’m just... meeting someone today. I’m a little nervous about it.”

“Is it... a date?” Lexa asked. And the idea of Clarke having a date didn’t bother her at all. Not one bit.

“NO!” Clarke knocked over the nutella jar a fourth time, “It’s just... a thing. Not a date. Definitely not a date.” Lexa felt a strange sense of relief at Clarke’s words.

“Well. I hope your thing goes well.” 

“Thanks Lexa.” Clarke gave up on breakfast and started heading out the door.

“Lexa?” She asked before leaving. Lexa looked up, “Do you want to hang out tomorrow night? Not with my friends. Just us.” 

“I think that would be lovely, Clarke.” Lexa said, trying to keep her voice even. Clarke grinned,

“Cool! It’s a date.” 

Clarke left, leaving Lexa to wonder about her choice of words.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you want to see me ranting/flailing about this, or ask any questions feel free to check out PhaseWriter on tumblr! Anything relating to this fic is tagged #SHAU


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took a while! I'm working a LOT, so I don't have as much time to write, but I really hope you enjoy it!

The Silver Griffon

She landed on the ground smoothly, in the same place she had met the Raccoon Bandit before. The villain wasn’t there yet. Mechanigirl dropped down next to her, stumbling a bit on her landing.

“You okay?” The Silver Griffon asked, Mechanigirl nodded,

“Yeah, I just landed a little too heavily on my leg.” The Griffon nodded and turned away, knowing that showing any more concern would only make her sidekick angry. She tapped her foot on the ground impatiently as she waited for her nemesis to show up. It didn’t take long; they were only a few minutes early, and she was right on time.

“Silver Griffon.” She greeted with a small nod.

“Raccoon Bandit.” She said, mimicking the movement. Mechanigirl snorted softly,

“Well, now that we’ve gotten the pleasantries out of the way, what did you want to tell us?” She demanded. The Griffon cringed at her harsh tone.

“I have a lead on the missing people.” The Bandit said calmly, “It would explain why you haven’t been able to find them, despite your... abilities.”

“Really?” The Silver Griffon was getting hopeful despite herself, “Where is it? Why haven’t you already gone to get them?”

“Have you heard of Mountain Enterprises?”

“Of course, they’re the biggest name in technology right now. What of it?” Mechanigirl was probably going out of her way to be rude. The Griffon almost wished she would try to be a little more polite. They were on the same side, for now.

“Their basement was renovated to block electrical signals,” The Raccoon Bandit explained, “And nobody knows what actually goes on down there. It would be the perfect place to hide the missing people from you.”

The Silver Griffon and Mechanigirl exchanged a glance,

“It is suspicious,” The Griffon admitted, “Have you been able to do any investigating?” The Raccoon Bandit shook her head,

“No. We haven’t been able to get inside.”

“I can get in.” Mechanigirl volunteered confidently. The Raccoon Bandit raised an eyebrow at her,

“How do you plan on getting into one of the most secure buildings in the city?”

“I don’t ask you how you rob a bank.” Mechanigirl shot at her. The Griffon raised her hand to stop her.

“Meet us back here. Same time, two days from now.” She said, “We’ll tell you if we have news.” The Raccoon Bandit nodded once and left. The Griffon turned to Mechanigirl.

“Play nice.” She said sternly.

\- - -

Octavia

It was the middle of the afternoon and Octavia was in Raven’s room with her and Clarke. They had dragged her in to get Clarke ready for her “hang out” with Lexa. Clarke refused to allow them to call it a date. It was supposed to be fun, but it was harder to enjoy herself when her friends were acting so tense.

“Okay. Spill. What’s going on?” She finally demanded. Clarke flushed and Raven shrugged,

“Nothing. I just thought it was only her stuffy roommate that Clarke had a crush on.”

“Raven, it’s not a crush. She’s just a... coworker.” Clarke said angrily, “And Lexa’s not stuffy. And I don’t have a crush on Lexa!”

Octavia and Raven shared a glance before bursting into laughter,

“Clarke, you are getting all primped and ready for a date. You’re crushing.” Raven told her.

“It’s not a date,” Clarke insisted, “We’re just hanging out.”

“Didn’t you call it a date when you first asked her?” Octavia pointed out. Clarke’s cheeks turned pink.

“Shut up.” She grumbled, making the other two laugh again. 

“So what are you doing on this not-date?” Raven asked. Clarke shrugged,

“I don’t know. I texted Lexa earlier to ask what she wanted to do and all she said was ‘I found something. It’s a surprise.’” Octavia raised an eyebrow,

“You still aren’t calling it a date, when the other person is literally going out of her way to surprise you? I feel bad for Lexa.” Clarke glared at her before standing up.

“Okay, enough teasing. How do I look?”

“Hot.” Octavia and Raven responded at the same time. Clarke smiled,

“Okay, I’m going then.”

“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!” Raven called after her. Clarke’s only response was to stick her middle finger in the air as she left.

\- - -

Lexa

Lexa was waiting for Clarke. She knew Clarke would be there any minute, so she was also trying very hard not to look like she was waiting for Clarke. She checked herself in the mirror again. Leather jacket, ripped jeans. She wondered if she should change but shook her head. Not enough time. The apartment door opened and she whirled around. It was Clarke.

“Wow. You look great.” She said, making Lexa very glad she hadn’t changed. 

“So do you.” She said. It was true. Clarke was wearing a tight blue dress that showed off her curves perfectly. Not that Lexa was looking at her curves.

“So... where are we going?” Clarke asked. Lexa smiled,

“You are aware of the concept of a surprise, right Clarke?” Clakre snorted,

“Will you at least tell me if I’m dressed appropriately?” She asked.

“Of course you are.” Lexa told her, “You look magnificent.” She moved past Clarke and held the door open for her. Clarke gave her a small smile that made Lexa’s heart flutter as she walked by.

They headed to Lexa’s car, and Clarke slid into the passenger seat. Lexa got into the drivers side and simply sat. After a few minutes, Clarke raised an eyebrow at her.

“Are we going to start moving?” She asked.

“Seatbelt.” Lexa said,

“What?”

“Your seatbelt. Car’s not moving until you’re wearing it.” Clarke rolled her eyes, but pulled on her seatbelt with exaggerated movements.

“Satisfied?” She asked, Lexa nodded,

“Very.” She started the car and began driving. They were silent during the ride, but Lexa didn’t mind, and Clarke seemed to be comfortable. They got out in front of an underground bar. Clarke raised her eyebrows, but Lexa just gave her a small smile.

“Trust me.” She said, Clarke nodded and hooked her arm in Lexa’s. Lexa tried to ignore the butterflies in her stomach as they descended the steps. They were able to get around fairly easily, as the bar hadn’t filled up yet. Lexa bought them both drinks and found a spot near a stage that was set up on one side of the room.

“So, are you going to tell me what the surprise is?” Clarke asked. Lexa nodded at the stage, where a band was setting up.

“They do concert nights here, once in a while. I know some people in this band, and thought they might suit your tastes.”

“What exactly do you know about my tastes?” Clarke asked, sounding mildly surprised. Lexa smiled at her,

“We do live together, Clarke. I hear you playing music all the time.” Clarke fell silent after that, sipping her beer. The table they sat at was small, and her knees were pressed against Lexa’s. It wasn’t an uncomfortable sensation.

The music was set to start in fifteen minutes, and the bar started filling up quickly. Before long, the crowd was pressing all around them. Lexa rarely went to bars, uncomfortable around such large crowds, but for Clarke, she would put up with it. 

When the music started playing though, it was worth it. After the first song, Clarke’s face lit up and she beamed at Lexa.

“You were right!” She yelled, over the sound of the next song, “This band is great!”

“Told you!” Lexa yelled back, grinning. She thought about asking Clarke to dance. She almost asked Clarke to dance, but held back. They were here as friends. Just hanging out. Not that she would object if Clarke asked...

As though reading her mind, Clarke drained the last of her drink and grabbed Lexa’s hands.

“Dance with me!” She called. Lexa allowed herself to be dragged to her feet and onto the dance floor.

Lexa had been trying not to pay too much attention to Clarke, but being so close now she couln’t help it. She was aware of every one of Clarke’s movements. She was also very aware of Clarke’s lips. Slightly parted into a light smile. She was about to step away as soon as the song ended, but Clarke had something else in mind. The band started playing something slower, and Clarke draped her arms over Lexa’s shoulders. Lexa’s hands automatically moved around Clarke’s waist.

Lexa’s heart was pounding so hard that she was fairly certain she was dying. Fortunately, she had decided that death by Clarke wasn’t such a bad way to go.

\- - -

The Outsider

She was training with Lincoln again. They were fighting barehanded, and she was very aware of his body. She had almost been of it being a distraction, but she found it was actually helpful. She was able to anticipate most of his movements from the subtle shifts she seemed so in tune to. 

She had just managed to pin Lincoln on the ground, and was about to bend down to kiss him when there was the sound of clapping from behind them. The Outsider whirled around to see Indra walking forward.

“You really did find a good one.” She told Lincoln. He got up and nodded,

“I agree.”

The Outsider felt a rush of pride at Indra’s words. She had quickly grown to respect the older woman, who had given her a fair chance despite them so recently being enemies.

“Well, I think it’s time we put her to use.” Indra told him, her tone businesslike, “The two of you will meet me at noon tomorrow for a job, I’ll give you the location later. You won’t be in the thick of things, but we’ll need you as lookouts.”

The Outsider nodded and Lincoln murmured a small “Yes, ma’am.” Indra gave The Outsider a curt nod before she left. As soon as she was out of sight, The Outsider turned to Lincoln,

“Does she always tell people in person when they have a job.”

“Rarely to never. I think she likes you.” He said with a small smile. She smiled back at him, partly from the praise, and partly because she was happy. He made her happy.

\- - -

Clarke

“Are you sure you’re going to be okay?” Clarke asked for the tenth time. They were standing a block away from Mountain Enterprises. Raven rolled her eyes,

“I’ll be fine. My buddy Wick works for Mountain, remember? As far as they know I’m just there for a tour. Besides, his boss has apparantly been dying to meet me for months.”

Raven was one of the best engineers in the city, in her spare time. Of course Mountain Enterprises wanted to meet her. But still...

“What if you don’t get close enough to find anything? What if you get caught?” Clarke worried.

“Relax.” Raven commanded, “I just need to get into the basement. That should get me close enough to figure things out. As soon as I get what I need, I’ll just pretend to enjoy the rest of the tour, and walk right out.” Clarke nodded,

“Okay. You’re right. Good luck.” Raven grinned,

“Who needs luck when you’re as awesome as me?” She pointed out. She gave a wave before heading down the street. Clarke went back to her apartment. There wasn’t anything she could do to help. Not really.

Lexa was sitting at the kitchen counter when Clarke got back, and she looked up with a small smile.

“Hello, Clarke.”

“Hi.” Clarke smiled back, “So. I had fun last night.” Lexa nodded,

“I did too. Although to be honest, I’m surprised you remember any of it.” It was true. After they had danced Clarke had drunk a lot.

“Hey, I can handle my liquor.” Clarke informed her, “I don’t even get hangovers.” Lexa laughed,

“Some people get all the luck. The rest of us have to learn our limits.”

“Is that why you switched to water after less than an hour?” Clarke asked.

“I’m not foolish enough to try to keep up with you.” Lexa admitted, making Clarke giggle.

“Well we shoud do it again sometime.” Clarke told her, “I really did have fun. Next time I’ll even slow down the drinking. Just for you.” Lexa smirked at her before throwing her work bag over her shoulder and heading to the door.

“Next time it’s your turn to pick the place.” She called as she left. She probably mostly meant it as a joke, but Clarke spent most of the day wondering how she could beat their first date. Not that it actually had been a date. She was very clear on that point.

\- - -

The Raccoon Bandit

She headed to her meeting with the Silver Griffon quickly, eager to hear if the heroes had actually managed to get any news. She was waiting with her obnoxious sidekick, as before. They exchanged some tense greetings, as before. But this time, they had all the information.

“Did you learn anything?” She asked, The Silver Griffon nodded,

“You were right. They’re in the basement.”

“Mountain Industries is using them for human testing.” Mechanigirl told her, “And not medicine testing. They’re doing... things. To them. To their bodies.”

“Things?” The Raccoon Bandit asked her, “What things?” Mechanigirl shook her head,

“Trust me, you don’t want me to answer that.” Mechanigirl rubbed her leg absently, “I mean, unless you’re even creepier than I first thought.” The Raccoon Bandit decided to ignore the jibe and turned back to the Silver Griffon.

“We need to find a way into that building.” She said, The Griffon nodded,

“Any ideas? The police can’t help, I checked. Mountain’s too powerful, they have enough lawyers to cover the entire police department in red tape.” The Raccoon Bandit snorted softly,

“Of course. This is why the law is so hard to work with.”

“Well, I’m not working against the law. Just... parallel to it.” The Silver Griffon said carefully. The Raccoon Bandit almost laughed aloud at that, but whatever helped the hero sleep at night...

“We need a plan.” The Raccoon Bandit said, returning to business before she actually risked bonding with the biggest stickler for rules she had ever met, “Are you willing to meet my generals? I’m supposed to go to them after this, I think you should be present. I mean, if we’re working together.” The Griffon was silent for a long time before she nodded once.

“Wait for me at your place. If I’m not there by tonight, assume the worst.” She said to her sidekick. The Raccoon Bandit wasn’t surprised by her distrust, she would have done far more in the hero’s shoes.

She led The Silver Griffon to where she was meeting her generals with a growing sense of trepidition. Her friends were not going to like the hero being there.

She was right. They didn’t. But arguments aside, they had a good plan when they finally broke apart. The Raccoon Bandit looked forward to the return of her people. And surprisingly, she looked forward to working with the Silver Griffon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you want to ask questions, or hear me ranting/flailing about my writing, feel free to follow PhaseWriter on tumblr!


	6. Chapter 6

Clarke

Clarke knocked on Raven's door five minutes before midnight. It swung open almost immediately and Raven sighed heavily.

"Oh my god, I was starting to freak out." Raven told her, ushering her in and closing the door, "I thought maybe they'd killed you and were selling your organs on the black market."

"That's...a disturbingly specific fear." Clarke told her, sitting down on Raven's couch.

"You're telling me," Raven grumbled, plopping herself down next to Clarke, "But since they clearly aren't selling your eyeballs, how'd it go?"

"Surprisingly well." Clarke told her. As she outlined the plan they had come up with, Raven grinned.

"You realize we're breaking about a dozen different laws to do this, right?"

"Yes, I realize that." Clarke sighed. Raven squealed.

"Aw! My baby's growing up!" Clarke scowled,

"How about we talk about something that isn't this?" She suggested. Raven nodded,

"Okay, where are you taking Lexa on your next date?"

"I'm still deciding." Clarke said, before frowning at Raven, "And it wasn't a date!" She paused before saying quietly: "you know I don't date."

Raven sighed and wrapped an arm around Clarke.

"You know," she said slowly, carefully, as though afraid of scaring Clarke off, "You're allowed to get over Finn. You're allowed to be happy. Maybe it's time to let him go." Clarke tensed, but didn't pull away from her friend.

 

"Did you get over it?" She asked hoarsely, Raven took a deep breath,

"Yes. It took a while, and dammit, it hurt, Clarke. It hurt so bad I could barely stand it, but I did it. Now it's your turn to let yourself love again."

Clarke thought of Lexa. Quiet Lexa who was always up way before Clarke, but never seemed tired. Stoic Lexa, who saved her smiles for when she was alone with Clarke. Tough Lexa, who had once come in right after Clarke, covered in cuts and bruises, but hadn't even winced when Clarke gave her first aid.

"Okay." She whispered.

\- - -

Octavia

Octavia lay in bed. She was exhausted, and wanted nothing more than to sleep, but her mind had other plans.

She had been a lookout today. A lookout so a jewelry heist could go unnoticed by the Silver Griffon and Mechanigirl. Everything had gone well, and they'd gotten away quietly.

But it didn't feel right.

She heard the sound of the front door closing. Bellamy had been working late again. Octavia got out of bed and went down the hall. He was in the kitchen, she could hear the sound of the cupboard doors. He looked up when she came in and smiled.

"Hey, O. Sorry if I woke you. Should I make cocoa for two?"

"Sure." She sat at the counter and watched him work. 

He hadn't even changed out of his uniform yet, and his badge shone on his chest. Her brother was a good cop.

"How do you know you're doing the right thing?" She asked as he put a mug down in front of her.

"What?"

"At work. How do you know you're doing the right thing?" 

"Well, after work I have a good feeling. I know I helped people. That has to be the right thing."

"But don't you ever come home feeling bad? Like you know you could've helped more if you'd done something different?"

"Sometimes." Bellamy admitted, "Why are you asking?" Octavia ignored his question.

"If it doesn't feel good, how do you know it's right?" Bellamy shrugged,

"I just figure that maybe I don't know everything. Maybe there is no right answer, and the law just gives us the best answer." Octavia frowned and drained the rest of her drink.

"I'm gonna go back to bed."

"Goodnight."

Octavia sighed as she went back to her room. Bellamy's belief in the law was part of what made him a good cop. His blind faith was what stopped him from being a great one.

\- - - 

Lexa

The next day, Lexa got a text from Clarke. She opened the message to see a time and address, with the words "meet me there."

Lexa glanced at the clock. She had more than an hour to get to the address. She looked it up, according to Google Maps, it was an empty lot that was covered in trees. She picked up her phone and sent a reply.

'What's going on?' The response was almost immediate.

'You said I was picking our next date'

Lexa felt her face turn red, and we glad that nobody was there to see it. Date? This was the second time Clarke had used the word. But they were just hanging out as friends, right? Right.

She changed her outfit three times before finally making her way to the address Clarke had sent.

When she arrived, she was frozen in shock for me a moment.

There were lights strung around all the Teresa, giving everything a soft glow. In the middle, Clarke sat on a picnic blanket, but she stood to meet Lexa.

"I tried to think of a way to beat your idea, but it ended up being really cheesy." Clarke said nervously. Lexa smiled softly at her,

"It's amazing, how did you do all of this?"

"Octavia and Raven helped me set up." Clarke took her hand and lead her to the blanket. Lexa sat down, trying to ignore the way her hand tingled where Clarke had touched her.

They are their picnic under the lights, but Lexa barely noticed what she was putting in her mouth. She was more focused on the way Clarke sat closer than was necessary, how her eyes never strayed from Lexa for long, the little touches that came a little too often to be casual.

Unless Lexa was misreading the entire situation. That was quite possible.

When they finished eating, Clarke pay back on the blanket, her hand resting on Lexa's knee.

"I like you, Lexa." She said softly after a while, "I was afraid to like you, but I do anyway."

Lexa held her breath, hardly daring to hope that maybe she hadn't misread the signs. She held on to every word while Clarke kept talking in that same quiet voice.

"I decided not to be afraid anymore, and let myself like you. I mean, I think you like me back." Clarke looked at Lexa with wide eyes, "Do you like me back "

"I am very fond of you, Clarke." Lexa said, and she was proud that her voice hadn't shaken at all.

"In a romantic way?"

Lexa took a deep breath, too late to turn back now,

"Yes."

They stared at each other for a moment, before Lexa leaned down to kiss Clarke.

It was gentle, and firm, and everything she hadn't wanted to admit to herself that she wanted until tonight.

So she was less than pleased when they were startled apart by loud cheering.

"Guys! You promised to leave!" Clarke yelled angrily. Raven and Octavia came out from behind some trees.

"We did leave!" Raven insisted,

"And then we came back." Octavia added. Clarke glared at them.

"You guys are totally cleaning everything up after that." Octavia shrugged,

"It was worth it." Raven said, already starting to unwind the lights from the trees.

Clarke took Lexa's hand and pulled her to her feet, smiling apologetically,

"Sorry, I probably should have seen this coming." She said. Lexa laughed and lead Clarke to her car.

When they got home, there weren't any unwanted surprises.

\- - -

The Raccoon Bandit

The Raccoon Bandit stood at her post, they were getting ready to get the missing people out of Mountain.

The plan was fairly simple, two of her men were inside, dressed as janitors. They would create an opportunity to get the her, the heroes, and some of her best people inside. They'd get in, grab the prisoners, and run, incapacitating anyone in their way. Simple.

At least it was simple until Gustus came up to her, looking worried. Gustus was never worried.

"Phone for you." He grunted, "One of our men got caught." The Bandit felt her blood run cold, she snatched the phone from Gustus.

"Speak." She ordered. There was a small chuckle from the other side.

"The Raccoon Bandit? So commanding."

"Who is this?"

"Oh, I apologize. Cage Wallace, at your service."

"At my service? I doubt it."

"Oh but I am. I want to make you a deal. One that gets all your people out with minimal fuss."

The Raccoon Bandit glanced around before hissing into the phone,

"What kind of deal?"

"Well, you see, I was prepared to deal with the Silver Griffon and her pesky sidekick. I do not, however, want to deal with you and all of your people at the same time. So I'm going to let everyone who works for you, and only those who work for you, out."

"And you want me to..."

"Leave. Have your people pull out. Once your people are safe, you have no reason to be here. After all, you're no hero."

"No," she agreed, "I'm not."

"So we have a deal?"

Why was she hesitating? Maybe the Silver Griffon was rubbing off on her. She felt herself blush slightly and shook her head to clear it. Even if they weren't enemies, she was with someone now. Any attraction she might feel for the hero was irrelevant. If it existed. Which it didn't.

"We have a deal." She finally said.

"Excellent. Your people will be released from the service entrance." The line went dead.

The Bandit frowned. She could see the service entrance from where she stood. Did Cage know her position?

Before she could wonder about it too much, The Silver Griffon and Mechanigirl flew down and landed a few feet away.

"I thought you were going to be waiting above the building." The Bandit said coolly.

"I heard your entire conversation." Mechanigirl said. The Raccoon Bandit raised an eyebrow.

"Really? Didn't your mother ever tell you it's rude to eavesdrop?"

"Cut the crap. We know about the deal you made with Cage." The Silver Griffon snapped. The Raccoon Bandit didn't deny it, or apologize.

"I put my people first."

"And everyone else doesn't matter?"

"Isn't that what you're here for?" Before the Silver Griffon could reply, the door opened and the Bandit's missing people filed out.

"We're pulling out!" She called. Gustus started relaying the orders. The Silver Griffon was moving closer to the Bandit. She braced herself in case it was going to be a fight, but the Griffon stopped, barely an inch away from her.

"The moment you leave, this truce is over." She snarled.

The Bandit didn't answer. She was distracted by eerily familiar scent of the hero's perfume, and the lock of blonde hair that was peeking out from under the helmet.

The Silver Griffon. Griffon, Griffin.

How could she have been so stupidly, idiotically, blind? She turned to follow Gustus, away from the woman who was making her head reel. She needed space to think.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, you may have noticed that there were only four POVs, rather than six. This is because:  
> 1\. It was typed on my phone so my this are really tired.  
> 2\. It was a good stopping point.  
> 3\. I'm evil.  
> Mostly 3.
> 
> If you want to see my side commentary or ask me anything, check out PhaseWriter on tumblr!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the end guys! Hope you don't hate it

The Outsider

“Come on, we’re retreating.” Indra said, hanging up her phone. The Outsider and Lincoln stared at her.

“Not everyone is out.” Lincoln pointed out.

“Our people are out. That’s all that matters.” Indra said, “No come on, we’re moving out.”

“We can’t just leave the rest! Those are civilians!” The Outsider protested. Indra glared at her and came close, her face inches from the hero’s. The Outsider stood her ground, glaring at the older woman.

 

“If you want to throw what you have with us away, go ahead.” Indra told her, “Do what you can to save them. You’ll fail, but if you’re lucky you won’t end up trapped with them. If you come with us, you will come far. Your choice.”

The Outsider glanced at Lincoln. His face was expressionless, showing no hint of what he wanted her to do. She turned back to Indra,

“I’m staying. I can’t leave them behind.” Indra didn’t look surprised, just disappointed,

“I had high hopes for you, Outsider. You aren’t like the other heroes. I suppose I was wrong about you.”

“I suppose you were.” The Outsider said coolly. Indra turned to Lincoln,

“Come. We’re done here.” Lincoln hesitated before shaking his head,

“I can’t. Indra, I’m sorry. I need to help her.” Indra gave him a pitying look,

“I had hoped you would be wiser than this, Lincoln.”

“I guess you were wrong about me, too.” He said. Indra shook her head,

“No. I knew this would happen. Good luck, both of you.” She turned and walked away. To the Outsider’s surprise, Lincoln chuckled,

“What?”

“I think she actually approves. I might still have a job after this.” The Outsider smiled at him,

“Come on. Looks like we’re going in alone with the heroes.” 

The two of them looked up to where the heroes were hovering above the building. The Outsider sighed, she really wasn’t one for working in groups.

***

The Silver Griffon

The Silver Griffon fought back the feelings of anger and betrayal as the Raccoon Bandit and her men walked away. She pushed them behind a door in her mind, she would feel them later, when it was convenient. Now wasn’t the time. She and her sidekick had to go rescue the remaining prisoners, alone. 

“We still have company.” Mechanigirl said quietly, pointing down. The Silver Griffon glanced down to see two shadowy figures looking up at them. She flew down to see them.

“Ready to kick some ass?”

“The Outsider? When did you get here?” The Griffon asked. The Outsider shrugged,

“A while ago. This is Lincoln. We’re here to help.” 

“We could use it.” Mechanigirl muttered, “Come on.”

The four of them headed towards the doors.

“What’s the plan?” The Outsider asked, The Griffon scowled,

“The plan just left. We’re going in. Anyone who gets in our way gets their ass kicked. No killing. Just make sure they can’t bother us.” The Outsider stared at her,

“That sounds... a lot like my usual methods. You okay?”

“The Griffon’s pissed,” Mechanigirl said gleefully, “This will be fun.”

“Just get the door open. You can disable the electrical lock and the alarms, right?” 

“Of course.” Mechanigirl paused for a moment, “Done. Let’s go.”

The four of them headed stormed into the building. This late at night, only the night security was there. The Outsider knocked the man near the door on the head and he fell unconscious to the ground. They didn’t pause to see if he was okay, heading straight for the elavator.

“This will only take us to the floor above where they’re keeping them.” Mechanigirl told them, as the elevator started moving, “We’ll need to take the stairs down, and there’s going to be a lot more security.”

“We’ll handle it.” The Griffon said tersely. The elevator dinged and the doors opened. They knocked out two more guards on their way to the stairs. The Outsider and Lincoln led the way down the flight of stairs, there were three more guards in the hallway. Before they could even draw weapons, they were on the floor like their comrades.

“Which way?” The Griffon asked Mechanigirl.

“Down the hall. Third door on the left.”

They ran to the door. Lincoln got there first, and yanked it open. A second later, he was thrown against the opposite wall, where he slumped to the ground and didn’t move.

“Lincoln!” The Outsider ran to him. The Griffon turned to the door, where a man stood.

“Pleasure to finally meet you, Silver Griffon.” He said smoothly, “I was expecting Mechanigirl, but I must say I’m surprised to see the Outsider working with you. Oh well, I can adapt.”

“Who are you?” The Griffon demanded,

“Cage Wallace. President and CEO. Pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

“Real pleasure, asshole.” Mechanigirl spat, “Now let those people go. I know what you’re doing to them.”

“Why would I let them go when I’ve won?” Wallace asked. He pulled out a remote and pressed a button. A cage unfolded from the ground and formed around Mechanigirl.

“That cage is made from the same material we used to block any technological signals. I think you’ll find it much harder to use your powers.”

“Let her go!” The Griffon demanded. He shook his head, 

“I don’t think I will. And by the way, I could kill her with the press of a button, so don’t do anything foolish. Like move.” The Griffon froze, glaring at Cage.

“What about me?” Came a familiar voice behind her, “Can I move?” Cage’s eyes widened in surprise,

“You? We had a deal! You were supposed to retreat!” Despite Cage’s order, The Griffon turned to look at the newcomer. The Raccoon Bandit was walking towards them, slowly and confidently.

“You came back?” she asked.

“Actually. I can’t break a deal. The Raccoon Bandit promised not to interfere, and I won’t.”

“So why are you here?” Cage asked. The Bandit smiled slowly,

“You seem to forget that while the Raccoon Bandit made a promise, the girl underneath did no such thing.” the Bandit started taking off her armor, and pulled out a makeup wipe, taking off the thick war paint, “And the girl underneath, is very determined to save her girlfriend.”

The Griffon stared at her, speechless. Fortunately, Mechanigirl had the words for both of them,

“Holy fuck, Lexa?”

“Clarke, Raven. I apologize for being late. I got caught up at work.”

“You are all really bad at keeping your secret identities hidden.” The Outsider called out. Mechanigirl snorted,

“Shut up, O. Clarke and I figured out who you were more than a year ago.”

“Do you realize this doesn’t change anything?” Cage yelled, drawing their attention back to him, “I’m still holding your friend hostage! I am still in charge!”

“You’re an idiot.” Mechanigirl called, “Tell me, if this cage blocks electrical signals, how are you supposed to kill me once it’s closed? I don’t feel any signal from the remote at all.” Cage paled. The Silver Griffon laughed,

“Seriously? You overlooked that?”

“Shit.” Cage muttered, as they converged on him. Lexa punched the cage on her way to him, her super strength freeing Mechanigirl.

“Alright, time to kick some ass.” Mechanigirl said happily.

***

Clarke

Clarke curled on the couch next to Lexa, listening to Bellamy bragging about his job.

“All of the missing people made it out, and we have enough evidence to put Cage Wallace away for good. And crime is way down, maybe the Raccoon Bandit has finally given up too.”

Octavia rolled her eyes at Raven and Clarke grinned up at Lexa.

“Do you think there’s a chance of that?” She asked, “Do you think that villains can change that much?” Lexa smiled indulgently at her.

“With the right motivation.” 

Bellamy continued on his rant on how the city was getting better. Raven and Octavia started imitating his hand gestures behind his back. Clarke put her head on Lexa’s shoulder. 

When the others finally vacated their apartment Clarke turned to Lexa,

“So, has the Raccoon Bandit really disappeared?” She asked. Lexa shrugged,

“She might come back occasionally. Perhaps doing charity work?” Clarke laughed and kissed her.

“You know there’s still a warrant for her arrest.”

“Thankfully The Silver Griffon owes her her life.” Lexa pointed out, “Actually, I even hear that they work well together.” Clarke snorted,

“Maybe. I don’t think Raven’s completely forgiven you for ditching us yet.”

“And you?” Lexa said seriously, “Have you forgiven me?” Clarke kissed Lexa softly before answering,

“You came back.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you want to see more of my writing (honestly this is the fic I'm probably least proud of, so I'd like it if you did just to know it's not my best) feel free to follow PhaseWriter on tumblr!


End file.
